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When students return to Knox Trail Middle School this fall, there will be a new principal at its helm. Sean Woodard-McNiff took over the leadership role on July 1 and is looking forward to bringing his experience to the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District.
McNiff explained that he is originally from Leominster and eager to return to the area where he grew up.
He recently left his job at Normandin Middle School in New Bedford where he served as principal for six years. Prior to that, he was the Upper School principal at New Bedford High School and has taught at the high school level in Fitchburg.
McNiff noted that he had the opportunity to visit Spencer during the interview process and was impressed by the school culture and welcoming environment.
“Spencer is a great community to work in,” McNiff said. “I’m excited to be working in a smaller school where I’ll be able to interact with students and educators more closely.”
For comparison, Knox Trail Middle School is comprised of 400 students in grades 5-8, while Normandin has about 1,100 students in grades 6-8.
“I’m coming from a large urban school,” he said. “One reason I decided to accept the position is because it seems like the community is committed to kids and its schools.”
McNiff added, “The huge (building) project at the high school shows me that support the community has toward educating the kiddos.”
The new principal said he enjoys working with the middle school age group because it is a time of “transition,” for them, moving from childhood to adolescence.
“You can see they have a lot of growth during that time,” he said. “I want to help build that foundation when they are starting to decide what they want to do and focus on.”
Making the announcement of McNiff’s appointment, Superintendent Paul Haughey credited his “steady leadership” in curriculum development, student support initiatives and community engagement.
Haughey praised the new principal for improving Normandin’s overall ranking, particularly in the post-pandemic period.
He also acknowledged his work at New Bedford High School, supervising curriculum and instruction, which showed the school achieving growth in Math and English/Language Arts and improvements in the Advancement Placemen departments.
“His commitment to student success and his innovative approach to education will benefit our entire regional school district’s learning community,” Haughey said in a statement.
McNiff received his degree in English from Fitchburg State and his law degree from New England School of Law.
He is the father of four children, who are high school age and older.
McNiff said his goals include working with adults to support students in what they are interested in, with a focus on their achievements in class.
Recognizing that teachers are “on the front lines,” McNiff said he has a collaborative leadership style and he looks forward to supporting educators and becoming part of the larger community.
“As principal, a great part of the job is to meet with school councils, hold open houses, etc. I’m excited about that and really enjoy working in a middle school environment.”
McNiff takes over for Ron Tomlin, who retired after 12 years.
